Hello my friends and family!

I am here sitting in my room, one week after arriving in Germany, listening to old NPR Fresh Air Podcasts. I just ate breakfast - muesli with milk, and a cup of espresso made with my brand new Moka Pot, and I think I will have a lazy day inside until I go to the gym this evening for some running and a yoga class. I am experiencing my first bit of what is called Scheissewetter -- it is raining pretty heavily outside and thundering a bit.

I would like to keep this travel blog updated pretty regularly, so I can easily share my experiences and photos with you, and also so that I have a record of my experiences here. As many of you know, my memory often fails me, and I want to remember as much of my time here as I can.

Anna drove me to the airport on the 20th. I was so glad to have her there to talk to, and she was a big help when it came to carrying my bags. When we got there, I got my tickets and we sat down, only to hear that we had just missed David Beckham as he passed by in a flurry of paparazzi. Anna attempted to join the paparazzi as she grabbed my camera and ran after him, but he vanished into a limo before she could see him. After this, she expressed deep regret haha, as we shared a Cinnabon and drank coffee and soda.

The plane ride was uneventful. I had quite a few things to do to entertain myself, such as books and knitting, but the lights were dimmed during the entire flight, and the French couple next to me managed to sleep all six hours, making it impossible for me to turn my light on without being rude.

My first day here was not very good for me. I can never sleep on planes and I had no idea what to expect upon my arrival, and by the time I arrived in Kiel, I was completely exhausted. My Betreuungslehrerin, or mentor, Birgit, was very nice and met me at the bus station. She took me to my new room in my Studentenheim and then also brought me to the bank and all around town to see what it is like. We had some coffee, went to the grocery store, bought some toiletry items. By the end of the day, I was completely beat. All I wanted was to e-mail my family and tell them that I was safe, but I found that I did not have internet. A nice guy here lent me his computer so that I could write e-mails, and then in broken German, I wrote to a fellow named Michael (pronounced Mick-hi-ale) asking if I could pay him for his internet. It worked, and I was connected. But then my computer died. I walked almost two miles to the store, bought an adaptor, felt pretty good about my ability to navigate alone in the German world, and got home to find it did not fit my computer. I was heart broken. I began to cry and I felt so alone. I thought coming to Germany was a huge mistake and I questioned why I would leave everyone I loved so dear. By 10pm, I still had not unpacked and I laid in bed, knowing that I would have to go to my friend Sabine's the next day. I rolled out of bed, unpacked my room, talked to Aunt Christine on my phone, and then took photos of my bedroom. Then, I fell asleep.

I like the room a lot. It is the perfect size for me since I do not have that much stuff, and I am really glad that I am surrounded by other students. Though I feel shy, I am glad that I am always running into people in the kitchens and hallways. Everyone is very friendly and they always introduce themselves. Some of my conversations go better than others - at times I feel like I do not know any German and then other times I feel very confident, but with time it will all get better. After the first night, I went to bed and woke up feeling much better about my situation. As the days have progressed, I realize how silly I was and how irrationally I was thinking because I had not eaten or slept in 35 hours. Amazing what exhaustion can do to you!

Sabine's house was very nice. During the last three weeks before leaving, I saw friends every single day to say good bye before I left. It was so nice to see everyone, and really flattering how many people wanted to visit with me! But also quite tiring. I really needed to just sit for a while, and Sabine's house was the perfect place to do this. Sabine lives in a little village outside of Halberstadt, called Stroebeck. It is beautiful there. It is surrounded by mountains, and Sabine's father and mother have done such a beautiful job making their house look like a paradise. Their backyard has a huge garden with lots of tomatoes that taste like the sun is inside of them, and beyond the vegetable and flower gardens is an apple orchard. Even further back than that, they have huge bushes which enclose a swimming pool. The pictures I have posted of the backyard do not do it justice - I can only hope my backyard is half as gorgeous as this when I have my own home.

We ate most of our meals on this back porch. The food was very good. My first night there, after not eating meat for quite a long time, I had a dinner which included a bratwurst and a pork chop haha. We also had zucchini with sheep cheese on top (delicious!), and bread with butter and fresh herbs. We also had Zuckermais, or sweet corn, and salad. It was all so good! Breakfasts were also nice - coffee and juice, fresh rolls from the bakery, butter, home made strawberry jam, eggs eaten out of a cup with a spoon. It was wonderful and slow paced, and just what I needed.

Sabine and I did a lot of site seeing, but we also did a lot of sitting and I really enjoyed it. I read The Geography of Bliss, by NPR journalist Eric Weiner and I also learned to knit a sock. In my photo album, you can see two pictures of my finished socks. Concerning the book, I liked it a lot because it provided a good alternative perspective on happiness after reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Here is an excerpt from the end, which I hope does not ruin things for anyone: "Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important. So are friends. Envy is toxic. So is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude." Lovely :)

Sabine also took me into her village to walk around. In my photos, you can see the giant Schackbrett, or chess board, which is in the middle of the village. Each year they have a chess game using live chess pieces - people dressed up as each piece. Going to the store to get ice cream, a man walked out. Sabine said hello to him and it turns out he was her math and chess teacher. Apparently, chess is a subject in her school system! So interesting :D

Another day we took a trip to Leipzig. Leipzig is a very nice city, with lots of stores and museums. I had a lot of questions about German history, specifically concerning the Wall and East and West Germany. Most of these questions were answered because we went to two museums there, both about German history, and one focusing completely on the DDR. I had no idea the kind of surveillance that was going on during the time of the DDR. I had seen The Lives of Others, a movie which showed some of the surveillance, but I had no idea the extent of it. I saw the book 1984 by George Orwell on Sabine's bookshelf and she said many people are reminded of the DDR when reading it. Crazy that things like that go on in this world.

Anyway, I am back in Kiel now. I have a lot to explore. I spent six or seven hours in town yesterday, buying items I needed like bowls and mugs and coffee, and also registering at the Rathaus and getting a bank account. Additionally, I now have a gym membership. It is a bit expensive, but they cut me a good deal, and with the long, cold German winter, it will be a good place to spend one or two hours each day. I'd like to think that I will have something to do all the time here, but when I am in Germany I would like to be outside exploring, and I don't see myself doing too much of that when the weather is 32'F or less haha.

The gym is very nice. The treadmills, rowing machines, and ellipticals face out on the water. There are free drinks to drink and lots of DVDs to rent. There is a sauna and a tanning bed, both of which I don't see myself using. And there are lots of classes to take, such as yoga and pilates which I am looking forward to. Tomorrow I have a free session scheduled with a personal trainer. With my lack of German work out vocabulary, we will see how that goes!

After one week here, I feel very happy and I am confident this will be one of the best years of my life thus far. Everyone has been so friendly, and I have learned so much already. I am really excited to begin teaching and meeting more people, and I am ready to work hard to learn the language. I found a quote from John Bingham, a runner and writer, that I think works perfectly when it comes to me learning German: "Frustration is the first step towards improvement. I have no incentive to improve if I'm content with what I can do and if I'm completely satisfied with my pace, distance, and form as a runner. It's only when I face frustration and use it to fuel my dedication that I feel myself moving forward." This past week I have often felt frustrated, but it feels good too, knowing that I will potentially see great improvements as well. Those feelings I had on the first day are just a memory now and I realize how important sleep can be haha I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am exactly where I want to be right now :)

Time for lunch: another cheese sandwich and an apple is on the menu for today!